TFT Substrate Broken Line Repair via Laser CVD and Surface Modification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing broken line repair methods for TFT substrates in LCDs face challenges with corrosion and friction issues due to the rough surface of conductive metal growing films, leading to low repair success ratios and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving steps to identify and repair broken lines on TFT substrates by exposing metal layers, forming a metal growing film, and applying a protective film or modifying the surface with high-frequency lasers to enhance corrosion resistance and reduce friction, thereby improving repair success.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If laser CVD is used to form metal growing film in color resist groove, then broken line can be connected, but metal growing film surface is rough and susceptible to corrosion and friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface treatments to different regions of the metal growing film. The exposed metal growing film surface undergoes protective coating or surface modification, while the covered regions maintain their original properties. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing corrosion and friction protection only where the rough surface is exposed to harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining the metal growing film with protective coatings or surface-modified layers. This composite approach maintains the electrical conductivity and connection function of the metal film while adding protective properties to resist corrosion and friction from subsequent manufacturing processes.
2Reliability
If metal growing film is exposed for broken line repair, then electrical connection is restored, but film breaking occurs during cleaning or alignment film reworking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies protective measures before the harmful cleaning or reworking processes occur. By pre-coating the exposed metal growing film with protective layers or performing surface modification treatments beforehand, the film is cushioned against the mechanical and chemical stresses of subsequent manufacturing steps, preventing film breaking while maintaining electrical connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary protective actions against the anticipated harmful effects of cleaning and reworking processes. The protective coatings or surface modifications are applied in advance to counteract the corrosion and friction that would otherwise cause film breaking during these subsequent processes.
3Ease of manufacture
If color resist layer is removed to form color resist groove, then broken point connection is enabled, but sub pixel region requires dark point processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes the color resist layer specifically at the broken point region to create access to the underlying metal layers for connection. This localized extraction enables the repair process by making the broken line accessible while minimizing the area affected, thus balancing manufacturing ease with avoiding excessive complexity in subsequent dark point processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively raises the broken line repair success ratio, ensuring product quality and competitiveness by preventing metal growing film breakdown from corrosion or friction during subsequent processes.
Implementation Method 1
laser welding the two ends of the broken point 21′ to remove the passivation layer 500′
Implementation Method 2
employing the laser chemical vapor deposition (Laser CVD) to form the metal growing film 700′
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a broken line repair method of a TFT substrate. The method first finds out a broken line in the TFT substrate and a position of a broken point on the broken line. Then, positions of the passivation layer intersecting with the broken line at two ends of the broken point are processed, respectively to expose a metal layer, where the broken line is. Then, a metal growing film is formed on the passivation layer and the metal layer which is exposed at the two ends of the broken point. Finally, a protective film is formed on the surface of the metal growing film or the surface of the metal growing film is flattened and modified. By protecting the metal growing film or by flattening and modifying the surface of the metal growing film to reduce the roughness thereof, the breaking of the metal growing film can be prevented.